


The First Night of a Thirty Year Stay.

by fallen_apples



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Gen, Guilt, Into The Unknown, Lost - Freeform, My First Fanfic, Panic, Stranded, Surreal, post atots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallen_apples/pseuds/fallen_apples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens to Stanford on the Otherside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Night of a Thirty Year Stay.

You’d think that upon arrival in a different universe, you’d hear an outburst of wildlife angrily howling in response. Punching holes through the fabric of space and time had the unwelcoming side effects of producing neon blue lightening and booming thunder. The lack of a proper sun and color set the stage for the perfect thriller. What seemed like pine trees stood in neat rows all directions. Their bark looked like it was spray painted jet black and the needles dull pyrite. Strangely, the maroon clay ground was barren of any other signs of life. There wasn’t even any dead pine straw. The look of the unsettling setting was only part of the problem though. Guttural roars, insane buzzing, the dry rustling of flora indicating the tiniest of movement, anything could cause reasonable panic. However, Stanford Pines was unnerved at the moment due to the absolute absence of sound. Something hung in the air, muting even his own footsteps through the dark forest. Unfamiliar stars that hung in the night sky barely lit Ford’s path as he trekked deeper into the cold unknown, hearing only his own heartbeat.

At least the voices were gone.

Coming down from the shock of being the first human test subject for his own trans-universe gate, Ford began to actually ponder about where he was heading. He needed to find someone. No, he just needed to tough it out on his own. A memory of a boyhood campfire meeting floated up. A vague song badly trying to lecture how to survive in the woods was recited with terrible singing. 

> “The Woodsy Owlets are always ready, our wings are steady!  
>  Just remember:  
>  S, stop, don’t drop!  
>  T, think or sink!  
>  O, observe, don’t lose your nerve!  
>  P, prepare, take care!  
>  So take heed of this creed  
>  Take flight and soar to the highest height  
>  Take this moment to heart, for we are all brothe-”

The song abruptly stopped like a record scratching.  Warm static fell softly. Ford began to recite periodic table elements in his head to past the time as he looked for shelter.

* * *

The dead ground soon gave way to a black beach. The silent man stood in front of an endless abyss of a smooth still surface. A quick toss of a pebble verified that the ocean of lavender liquid in front of him had the consistency of a milkshake. At one end of the coast, the trees seemed to stretch into infinity, meeting the sea and sky. At the other, a jagged mountain was trying to pierce the sky and tear open a black hole. For an instant, the lonely expanse was too much and Ford wondered if there was any air left in the atmosphere as he held his head in his hands, breathing hard. Laid out on the shore, never was Pines more grateful for constraint of gravity. The gripping emotion passed like a rainstorm. Soaked with sweat, Ford got up and trudged towards the sharp spires in hopes of finding a cavern. 

Disaster struck when he smashed his foot into a dull rock sticking out of the sand. To be fair, the spare glasses had an older prescription. Anger flared and Ford swore like the sailor he was. His first words spoken in what felt like days. His grimaced face met the face of the coal colored rock, which happened to have a face of their own. It held horror, making the rock seem guilty for the damage it had done.  "WHY'CHA **DO** THAT?!" The scream was still echoing into the woods when Ford realized he had just snapped at hunk of mineral. He raised his leg to deliver a boot to the head, but reconsidered that the outcome would really not be helpful to anyone. After coming to that conclusion three more times, Ford pressed onward, determined to keep his eyes forward for the long journey ahead. 

His foot ached with each step.

The ashen cliff side was steep but traversable with caution. Spiky bramble bravely clung to the rock despite the unforgiving winds. Ford stumbled a few times, but was able hold on to his balance. After what felt like three hours possibly, the lost brother stood before the gaping mouth of the beast. Scaly white branches that were scattered around the entrance resembled bones. Two zeppelins side by side could easily be parked overnight if it weren’t for the sword like stalactites hanging dangerously overhead. Shelter, check. Fire, fire was next. From building universal gateways to miniature log cabins made out of twigs. The heap looked a lot like the shack back in Gravity Falls. Fire, warmth, heat combustiontriangledestruct-STOP. Ford breathed a sigh of irritation and patted himself for his lighter. Once lit, the fire slowly grew from flickering in and out to pulsating heartily with life. The small silver box had brought a sour taste to Ford’s mouth, but blamed it on the smoke instead.

* * *

Exhausted and hidden away deep in the cave, a visiting researcher sought in vain for sleep on the hard floor. Discordant thoughts chattered in a crowd until two voices faced off for control. One was facing the imposing reality, bitter and angry. The other was trying to figure out how to fix Ford’s now slightly swollen foot.

> **If I ever see _him_ again, the first thing I’m going to do is knock his block off. A high six straight to the jaw.**
> 
> That much pressure might broken a toe or two.
> 
> **If I ever see him again, I’m gonna let him have it!**
> 
> There’s really not much you can do about a broken toe. You can wrap it if it’s really bad, but honestly it just takes time.
> 
> **So what if we’re twins? So what if he’s my brother?**
> 
> Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes and not walk around too much.     No running!
> 
> **So what if … he was the last person I could trust?**
> 
> **Well, he was at the bottom of the list!**
> 
> So take it easy and let it heal. Nothing lasts forever.
> 
> **And…all he did was let me down.**
> 
> **Again.**

It was the first of many silent, yet noisy nights without rest.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try and imagine what could have happened after Stanford was accidentally sent packing by Stanley. This probably isn’t even close to what happened, but it was interesting to write nonetheless. I used to hate writing, so the fact that I made this is a small miracle to me. phantomrose96 is a huge inspiration and the biggest reason this exists. Here’s to you girl.
> 
> This is my first go so “buyers beware” or something like that. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
